July 2002

Feature Article

July 2002

Eclectic Artists Publishing.

Sections within this article:
Physical Freedom    
Economic Freedom    
Mental Freedom    
Spiritual Freedom    

Just as accountants are supposed to take an annual inventory of financial performance to keep a business on track, citizens must routinely check themselves and their relationship to social institutions to keep democracy on track. If accountants fail to perform this duty reliably, then companies can become bankrupt. If citizens fail to perform this duty then nations can become corrupted. While a monthly or quarterly review would be better, the Fourth of July is a perfect reminder that it is once again time for us to analyze how WE are doing in terms of Liberty.

In macro terms, U.S. citizens are far less “free” now than 100 or 200 years ago. Compared to the freedoms which American revolutionaries had (even BEFORE they declared their independence from a repressive government), most of us are now effectively existing as slaves: Unable to quit our jobs or provide for ourselves outside of our highly-structured economic system; ignorant of how to produce our own food and raw materials; deeply indentured for our shelter (30 years of debt!), transportation (3-7 years of debt for each car!), and an array of other borrowings; taxed at rates which would have provoked armed resistence among our forefathers; and shackled by a vast array of laws which give us little control over our own homes, bodies, labor, or even death. The only thing it seems most of us are truly ‘free’ to do is to go to work everyday… IF we can find a job. And, for many, especially workers under 40, the financial reality is that the golden carrot of retirement has become pure fantasy; working until the day we die is our more likely future. So, while overt slavery is now rare, de facto indentured servitude is the worldwide reality in this New World Order of global capitalism.

All is NOT lost, however, for as poets and philosophers have often noted, the first step in achieving lasting liberty is to take responsibility for freeing ourselves. If Liberty is our goal for our nation (and our world), we must first understand how we ourselves can achieve and retain freedom: Physically, Economically, Mentally, and Spiritually.

Physical Freedom

The most basic freedom we desire is physical freedom: To live without shackles or jailors; to live without severe handicaps or illness. Imagine incarceration: For many, it is the most severe penalty other than death; for some it is more terrible than death.

Therefore, if you are not incarcerated, on probation, or otherwise legally restricted in your movements, you can count yourself as physically free. If you are not bed-ridden, helplessly paralytic, or otherwise too ill to care for yourself, you can again count yourself as fortunately, physically free. Of course, this measurement is not a simple on-off switch. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was put into law to help ensure the physical freedom of handicapped people… although this law is ridiculed by many business executives and is not even applied in many places. And then there are politics: People living in West Berlin during the Cold War were ostensibly free to move around — unless they wanted to visit a relative in East Berlin. Similarly, today billions of people are actively prevented from traveling, working or relocating freely around the world by dictate of various governments, including the U.S. So, if we have relatives or friends in another land who have the means and desire to move near us or vice versa, but are prevented from doing so by one government or another, then we are actually less physically free than we thought. Also, since the transportation of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and many other products (even fruits and vegetables) across national or state lines is restricted, our physical freedom is again curtailed accordingly. Thus, today we are actually somewhat LESS physically free than the 1776 revolutionaries (even under the dictates of the original ‘mean old King George’).

More ominously, governmental safeguards of our physical freedoms seem to be only political conveniences at best. Consider these blatant violations of the U.S. constitution: Critics of our government have been jailed under anti-sedition laws for nothing more than their exercise of free speech; Japanese Americans were rounded into concentration camps during World War II for no reason other than their ethnic background; Consciencious objectors to the Vietnam War were jailed for refusing military service; Lawful protestors on college campuses have been gunned down by government militia; Governmental and economic critics were jailed, blacklisted, or worse during the McCarthy-era ‘commie-hunts’; U.S. military personnel have been purposefully subjected to biological, chemical and radiation experiments under order of their commanding officers, all without their knowledgeable consent; Afghanistan “detainees” (including U.S. citizens) have been imprisoned for indetermined lengths without due process. This list is by no means comprehensive.

In addition, physical freedom must include the sanctity of our domiciles… the U.S. Constitution tried to guarantee it! But today, search and seizure rules have been run through with numerous large swords: Drug laws, sex laws, gambling laws, weapons laws, eminent domain, and many other governmental edicts deny basic physical security even to land owners within their own property. Add to this the technologies and budgets for survelliance over private citizens and a clear picture begins to emerge regarding the severe limits placed on our privacy and physical freedom. Of course, our legislators and magistrates always have rationalizations for abridging our freedoms, and the citizenry are (almost) always so understanding.

Excuses for the loss of freedoms can be offered (they always are), but we are now attempting to do an accounting, so we must recognize the facts: Americans now have less physical freedom (politically, not technologically) than the Colonials had under the British monarchy.

To achieve true physical freedom we must demand a contraction of governmental authority in line with the original guarantees of the U.S. Constitution: Sanctity of our homes and properties; Freedom to choose our own lifestyles, spirituality, sexuality, fertility, medicines, entertainments, and all other personal or consensual acts. We must demand severe penalties against any governmental personnel who violate our rights. In many ways, physical freedom is the most difficult to achieve since it is largely out of our personal control: we must act in concert to reign-in our government. As U.S. revolutionary and patriot Benjamin Franklin remarked, “We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” On a personal level, we CAN do at least two things to reach this goal: (1) Recognize that NO system can survive without the tacit or explicit cooperation of its citizens; and (2) Refuse to support or participate in a violation of anyone’s Constitutional rights, including your own, for ANY reason or in ANY way. Even if I would NOT choose the same specific freedoms as you would, we must ALL support each others’ rights to make those choices for ourselves. Otherwise, we want to live within a patriarchy, not a democracy.

Economic Freedom

Many best-selling books have been published under the sales pitch “Achieving Financial Freedom”, so this topic is certainly the most titillating. But what does Economic Freedom mean? Can it be achieved within a capital system specifically designed to give preference to the wealthy over the laborers?

We begin our answer by contemplating a quote from Thoreau: “That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest.”

Looking over the facts and figures, any independent auditor can see that our economic freedoms have declined dramatically over the past decades, and even moreso in the last century. In contrast to 150 years ago, today, the typical family does not own their land, their home, their transportation, or their means of production: Lenders and bosses do. In contrast to 50 years ago, few families (even those headed by college graduates) can make ends meet on one income. Gone are fixed pensions. Gone are vacation homes. Gone are full health care benefits. Schools are over-crowded and under-funded. Civic infrastructures are antiquated, over-burdened and crumbling. Debt is at all-time highs for individuals, businesses and governments. Deficit spending is the norm, privately and publicly. Real wages (after adjusting for inflation) have fallen every year since 1989 (the year which marked the end of competition from Eastern bloc socialism). Real production jobs are leaving our nation like a stampede, seeking dirt cheap labor elsewhere and backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government’s cooperation with the WTO, GATT, NAFTA, and the like. Meanwhile, prices for housing, medical care, utilities and other bare necessities have risen dramatically as ‘deregulations’ and ‘mergers & acquisitions’ have combined to create oligarchies of transnational corporations in nearly every industry. Real estate, banking, finance, stock markets and even municipal bonds have been racked by so many corruptions and swindles that average investors cannot plan confidently with what little of their savings remains. The overwhelming majority of American families now live hand-to-mouth, utterly beholden to the corporation that employees them, and with no alternatives in sight. As a whole, we are economically trapped; indentured slaves. So we choose to buy products made by so-called ‘Third World’ slave labor to keep our economic illusions alive, never stopping to reason that the corporate officers do not care whether the child laborers who pack their profits (and win them big personal bonuses) are Chinese or Indonesian or American. Some day (soon), when the music stops, and everyone scrambles for a living wage job chair, we will learn the lesson of the game.

So, given the facts of this economic audit, how do we achieve economic freedom?

We moderate our CONSUMPTION. As contrary as this notion is to all the advice of “get rich quick” books (which focus only on increasing income), this is the single largest step toward achieving economic freedom. As REM’s Michael Stipe sings, “What we want, and what we need, has been confused and confused!” We need oxygen to survive, but the latest Nintendo game is just a ‘want’. Clearly separating wants and needs is a key step toward economic independence because there will always be a carnival hawker screaming lies to make us part with our hard-earned money. The motto, ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’, has been around a long time because it is true. Every product we do NOT purchase is that much more capital we have preserved, and thus that much more power we then have within this capital-driven system.

We increase our household PRODUCTION. The easiest way to do this is to become handy. We learn to fix things around the house. We learn to raise the most expensive or routinely consumed foods (strawberries, eggplant, tomatoes, apples, peaches, asparagus, eggs, etc.) and develop barter and trade networks with our neighbors. We learn to sew: Make our own draperies and clothes. We turn wastes (gray water, food scraps, newspapers) into resources (plant irrigation, compost, weed block and fire starter). We learn to trade chores and goods with friends and neighbors. Again, ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’, and when we can do for ourselves, or trade skills within our community, then we are preserving our hard-earned capital.

We BUDGET and invest conservatively. Forget ‘get rich quick’ schemes. We must manage our lives like a company (but NOT like a DOTCOM company!). We can usually estimate how much we are likely to earn per year within our chosen field, so we should begin with a conservative estimate of income (which includes sick leave, allowances for lay-offs, etc.). The next step is to make a conservative estimate of our minimum and realistic expenses. The distinction is crucial. Minimum expenses are the ‘batten down the hatches’ expenses we could get by with if the world went to hell in a handbasket. Realistic expenses are what we expect to spend at our current standard of living, including specifically (and this is VERY important) allowances for ‘variable’ and ‘amortized’ expenses. [Note: variable expenses are things such as a veterinarian bill or car repair which do not occur monthly, but which are expected to occur from time to time, whereas amortized expenses are things such as new tires, or a new roof, which will definitely be needed within a given span of time. Appropriate sums MUST be set aside for these items each month (on a prorata basis) in a separate account, yet NONE of these moneys can be thought of as part of our ‘savings’ or ‘net worth’ since we know these funds will eventually be needed for the specified expenses.] Failure to budget for variable and amortized expenses is the greatest reason most families seem to “get set back” by some “surprise” just when they think they are starting to get ahead. In reality, by failing to budget for these non-monthly expenses, they incorrectly believe they have excess spending money, so they spend it, usually on items they ‘want’ rather than ‘need’. When the inevitable variable event occurs, they dip into their ‘savings’ and then lament that they can not catch a break. Talk-show icon Johnny Carson, who earned millions but came close to bankruptcy on several occassions, once joked, “It seems that everyone spends $10,000 more than they make each year”. To really get ahead, we should budget as if we are only making 1/2 to 2/3 of what we actually make, and then plow the rest into savings and investments (striving particularly for debt-free ownership of our home). Almost everyone will protest that this suggestion is impossible, but for most of us it is certainly possible. If our household makes $40,000 per year, we need only to understand how the folks making $20,000 – $25,000 per year are getting by. If we make $60,000, we need to live like those folks making $30,000 – $40,000. We buy (or rent) a home which fits that income bracket. In the SHORT RUN we must swallow our pride and let the Joneses show-off. But after just a few years, perhaps a decade, when we have no mortgage payments (since we used that extra $20,000 per year to pay down our home loan), who will be more proud and prominent then? Who will have less risk, more flexibility and freedom in life, more capital and power? If we want a ‘secret’ for financial independence, we have one: We can call it ‘the frugal tortoise versus the flamboyant hare’ strategy.

We AVOID DEBT (like the plague)! Under the rules of capitalism, people who lend capital do so at rates which enrich themselves. Logically, therefore, borrowers are likewise stripped of their own wealth (usually, their very labor). Thus, the Bible’s sage warning, “The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is the servant to the lender.” Any way we do the math, earning 3% on our savings and paying 15% on our credit card debt is a fool’s game: We lose 12% of our nest egg every year; in 8-1/2 years we will have nothing to show for all our hard work. Thus we NEVER borrow in order to consume, and we RARELY borrow to invest. The prime exception (for most, the ONLY exception) is to secure the purchase of our family home (an investment). Even then, the goal is to pay-off such debt as rapidly as possible (thus the budget strategy listed above). We must use credit cards only as a convenience for records keeping, paying off our entire balance each month. We never spend money we do not have (i.e., on plastic). We NEVER, NEVER, NEVER CARRY A CREDIT CARD BALANCE! Thus we NEVER pay interest (usury) and are never stripped of our wealth (or labor).

We DE-CENTRALIZE our economies. Henry Ford catapulted the industrial revolution with his centralized management and assembly line production methods. Yet, we soon learned that there was a huge price to pay for such de-humanizing labor practices. Product quality, personnel morale, even customer choice and satisfaction suffered. So we took another step and learned to create “quality circles” where production was shifted to a sequence of teams whose members could handle a variety of tasks and easily accomodate customized requests. More recently we have learned to manage an even more flexible and powerful model: decentralization! Even the defense department has embraced this notion: The internet (a D.O.D. creation, accidently embraced by the publicly) is the epitome of decentralization, designed specifically as a loose affiliation of interconnected communications systems which no one can shut down, blow up or block. But how do we apply this to our lives? (1) We diversify our household incomes: One wage-earner keeps a job (perhaps part time) with benefits; Another performs temp or consulting work; Both cultivate local sources of productive self-employment income (such as preparing tax returns, operating a weekend bed & breakfast, selling produce at farmers markets, etc.). (2) We demand governmental regulations which decentralize (i.e., provide local ownership and control of) key industries such as utilities, medical services, banking, insurance, etc. People report that it is literally amazing how much personal power they regain once they have economic options in their lives… and how much increased leverage they gain with their traditional employer once they know they can say ‘take this job and shove it’.

In fact, people CAN AND DO gain economic independence using this formula (usually in ten years or less). These disciplines are powerful and empowering. The only variable is our own personal dedication to achieving economic freedom.

Mental Freedom

An analysis of our mental condition is a true test of an auditors’ skills set. Fortunately, we can fall back on the concept of a balance between Debits and Credits to rectify the incredible cognitive dissonance on our ledgers. We simultaneously believe that our nation is great also while recognizing that our government is so non-responsive that we hardly bother to vote. We insist that we are independent thinkers, then buy nutritionless burgers, fries and sodas from whoever imprints the most impressions on our brain. We say we buy computers for “educational” and “business” purposes, but we actually use them mostly for pornography. (Really! This is statistically true… precisely as it was for videotape machines.) We say we want democracy and freedom, but we decline to get involved and often trade the promise of security for the reality of decreased liberty. How can we explain such contradictions? What shall we do to remedy this cognitive fracture? Upon conclusion of this audit, any independent accountant worth his or her salt (are there any?) would conclude that earlier generations, indeed, had a larger degree of mental freedom than we do.

As reggae composer and spiritual leader Bob Marley urged, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.” Most of the world’s great religions and philosophies echo this sentiment: It is WE who hold the key. The champion is within each of us, waiting to be set free. The battle for good and evil is within each of us. We can choose our destiny. We can find, or create, nirvana.

Motivational speakers make millions each by simply reminding us of what we already know (in our heart of hearts): WE have power within us to be or do almost anything we can imagine. When it comes to mere mortal fetes (such as motivating a group of employees, or selling a product we believe in) this is certainly true. And, as the waiting room sign says, “Yes, we can do extraordinary things, but the impossible takes a little longer.” So why must we pay dearly for someone else to tell us what is already inside each of us?

The good news is this: The tangible path to mental freedom is actually straightforward and is completely within our control. The bad news is that mental freedom requires effort and is completely within our control. The worse news is that we are therefore personally responsible for whether or not we achieve mental freedom. (Shit! And we thought this was gonna be easy!)

In another essay (“What’s So Funny ’bout Peace, Love and Understanding”), we have explored the topic of mental freedom in greater length, so here are just the bullet-points: (1) We must develop a commitment to discovering truth; (2) We must remain open-minded and parsimonious; (3) We must maintain perspective; (4) We must understand — and remain open to — pattern recognition; (5) We must perform hypothesis testing; (6) We must be willing to revise our beliefs and worldview based on newer and better information. All of this implies that we must avoid traps such as intellectual dishonesty, superstition, parochialism, and (internal or external) deception.

The simple key to achieving mental freedom is this: AVOID HUBRIS. Hubris is when we think we are so smart that we KNOW what the truth is. In truth, we are ALL just guessing, and hoping, and believing. Once we get this fact through our thick heads, mental freedom comes pretty easily since we are no longer weighted down by rules, dogma, and unchallengeable convictions. Our being is lightened by the flexibility to consider new arguments, contemplate new facts, and draw novel conclusions demanded by the evidence at hand. No more effort wasted trying to force the square peg of reality into the round hole of pre-conception.

So much of what we have “learned” is wrong. Most of our education is really indoctrination, and the rest is largely industrial training. Real education teaches us how to use independent thought to discover truth. When we open our minds to the truth we will see it. But we must remember that the truth is not frightened, and so it never demands our unswerving allegiance. The truth is happy to be put to the test. The truth has nothing to hide. The truth enjoys interrogation, doubt, and reflection. The truth does not claim to be eternal, unchanging or omnipotent. If we seek the truth, we will achieve mental freedom.

Spiritual Freedom

Sometimes it just comes down to faith. Not ALL the time, but once in a while (otherwise we could pretty much make-up what we want about “reality”). Religious leaders want us to accept their decisions as (literally) holy. This is NOT a good start regarding our audit of Spiritual Freedom. In fact, it is quiet similar to the conditions which drove our forefathers to leave Europe altogether. Shouldn’t we be able to explore our world with an open-mind and THEN attempt to construct our own coherent world view? Or should we just open wide and swallow the religion of our parents or peers… with little or no intellectual effort put forward in the matter? That’s no way to achieve spiritual freedom!

Spiritual freedom only comes in 2 flavors: Folks who have it, and folks who don’t. A majority of Americans are quite decidedly closed-minded on the topic — there IS a (Christian) God. They demand a currency which proclaims their belief, a pledge of allegiance which does likewise, and an array of other injections of religion into matters of politics (in spite of our Constitution’s requirement of a separation between Church and State). To even SUGGEST that these groups should be more tolerant and objective on the issue is to become the object of scorn. This is NOT spiritual freedom… this is the behavior of fanatical cults.

One of The United State Constitution’s key provisions is specifically designed to allow freedom of religion. But spiritual freedom means tolerance. We shall not be threatened by good people whose ideas differ from ours. Nor shall we fear inspection, introspection, or a call to account. We shall simply represent the truth as we know it. We shall count our days in service. We shall give abundantly and graciously of our wisdoms. Spiritual freedom means being open to the feelings and directions our God gives, not superimposing our own petty plot lines. If we DO stand for those ideals of our forefathers, then we shall remain tolerant and acceptant of the beliefs held by others.

Just because we keep falling, saying what we believe but living a different life, always begging for forgiveness, always feeling guilty; just because we WANT to believe in something immeasurable, something which has no consequences; just because we NEED to believe; just because it would be nice if the world were that simple and fair does NOT make it so. We ridicule ‘pagan’ island cultures for praying to mysterious Volcano gods, while we swear all manner of miracles by our own God(s). Our Spiritual audit reveals that we must end our hypocrisy and re-commit ourselves to The Golden Rule.

In many ways, obtaining Spiritual Freedom is the easiest freedom of all since all we need to do is remain tolerant and treat others as we wish to be treated. Now, is that so difficult?

Summary & Conclusions

There is no mystery to achieving independence. Most of us can choose to do it. There is no reason to remain trapped and powerless, helplessly denying that the elite intend to increase their wealth and control at our expense. If we truly desire freedom, then it is ours for the taking. By finding spiritual freedom we can realize mental freedom. This in turn allows us to logically approach our economic freedom. In the end, our very awareness, personal strength and resolve practically guarantee our physical freedom.

WE can have Liberty if WE act Responsibly. The choices and the paths are ours.

‘Liberty & Responsibility’ is a viable alternative to the current system. Let freedom ring!

Thank you for your attention, interest and concern.

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

Artwork of the Month

Artwork of the Month – July 2002

Works are selected for provocative visual, intellectual,
social and/or spiritual content.. Print versions
(suitable for home or office display), with or without professional mounting
and framing, may be available for order as indicated below each display.Eclectic Artists Publishing.

“Can We See What It All Means?”

Available as 6″x9″ print suitable
for framing at $18 each
or professionally matted and framed at $75 each.
Order
Now!
Signed by the artist upon request.

About The Art

The color of money, dark shadows on a fiery horizon, and the timeless face of Stonehenge. Though ominous and threatening to some, through the eyes of the Digital Impressionist we feel peace and strength. Humanity faces itself as its own worst enemy, tenaciously reasserting our minds’ desire to construct our soul, to transcend our biology. For more than 5,000 years some from each generation have taken the risks necessary to raise the bar of Truth, Justice and Beauty. There is no reason to think we will stop now.

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.

Poet's Park

Poem of the Month – July 2002

Pausing…

To Consider The Path to Heaven

You were, it seems, always passing down this road
The turning points and chasms are not remembered often
But, at this instant, past choices confront you
Like deja vu recollections of long walks
Or were they dreams?

Winters have never restrained your Spring into Summer
Yet the Fall always occurred
And you’d come full circle
Again

Life grants so few seasons

While we invent so many reasons
To stay at the spot we’d found years before
Safely

The shortest path is always the hardest
The mere thought
Of mastering the skills required to make that climb
Brings several alternatives to mind

Mind you, you’ve created alternatives before
You are creative
You have within you the power to create an array of realities
And you are free to choose any path you desire

Even the toughest path imaginable

Once again you stare dead ahead at the familiar circle before you
While threatening and severe slopes
As always
Present themselves at your side

Pausing
to consider the path to heaven
You catch your breath
And realize
That you must risk your life
If you are to have one

Copyright 1996 Dean DiSandro, published and administered by Eclectic Artists Publishing.

ABOUT THE POEM

Many people need a harrowing, life-threatening, or tragic event to make them pause… to shake them from their semi-conscious ride upon the merry-go-round of modern living… to cause them to take inventory of what is really important in life, and how they can achieve “heaven”.

The bad news is that, contrary to popular beliefs, “heaven” is not reserved for the hereafter, nor is it achieved through adherence to dogmatic rituals or authoritarian commandments, nor are its gates guarded jealously by a scorekeeper, nor is it for sale to philanthropists, nor is it even a physical place.

The good news is that everyone can achieve heaven (or nirvana, peace, oneness, or any other semantical term reserved for that blissful state of being) right here and now… if they contemplate and choose such a path.

Of course, as every religion and philosophy notes, achieving heaven requires conscious effort, discipline, and even risk. There is good, and there is evil, and people adopt many shades of being between those two poles. Truth, Justice and Beauty are within all of us… as are heaven and hell. Individually, we decide which dominates our life. Collectively, we determine the world we inherit and bequeath. Unfortunately, laziness, greed, dishonesty, and the like, require little effort, so our default is hell.

When we choose to accept our ‘fate’, when we avoid the risks and efforts of the tougher path, when we choose to simply exist, moving in circles and drawing breath repetitively, then are we really living? Or are we just marking time until the sands run out?

What choice will you make?

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation.
Used here by kind permission.

Steal a Song

July 2002

JOIN NOW!     And be
sure to purchase Alter-Nation’s latest CD, Change
the System!. You can also use these links to contact Rockin R Records regarding
recording your music or Eclectic Artists Publishing regarding publishing your songs.

6:05 a.m. ?

Download & Play MP3 music file

Jack: …and the political conventions just seem to be so predictable… you get some silly speeches, a bunch of strutting and butt-kissing… and of course lots of handcuffs & mace.

Biff: Yeah, Jack, and that’s just your girlfriend!

Jack: Now seriously, Biff, I want to hear from our listeners on this: Doesn’t it seem like every election nowadays is like choosing between two soft drinks? “Let’s see, I want something bold and refreshing like Popsi!” “No, no! We need something different, a dramatic change… like Cola-Cola!” “Hmmm. My father always went with Popsi! But on second thought, the guys at work always pick Cola-Cola.” “Thank goodness I only have two choices!” …Hey, call me folks! Do you see what I mean? What about milk? Why don’t I have that choice?

Biff: Or what about scotch?

Jack : Or herbal tea?

Unknown Voice: Or Fruity Mineral Water?

Biff: Actually it’s even worse than that. It’s like the two major parties are diet soft drinks! I vote for Diet Popsi. You vote for Diet Cola-Cola… either way – big corporations profit!

Jack : Hey, kinda like light-beers: “Acts Bland! Less Honest!”

Gang :“Acts Bland! Less Honest! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Taped Theme Chorus: “Jack and Biff in the Morning!”

Lyrics copyright 2000 Dean DiSandro.

All rights reserved. Used here by kind permission.

About The Song

Is it really 6:05 in the morning already? Or am I still dreaming? This all sounds so familiar. Am I awake, and this is deja vu… or am I just dreaming that I’m awake and this is some sort of recurring nightmare? I think I’m awake but, in a strange way, I seem to be more lucid now than in my ‘normal’ waking life. I usually walk around in such a stupor. See! That was an introspective thought! I don’t usually have introspective, self-critical thoughts. I’m usually sanguine and unconflicted about my life and the world around me. The only way to find out, for sure, whether this is real or imagined is to perform some sort of test. OK, if I AM awake, then I should NOT be able to imagine any possibility for real change. I mean, I usually feel there is no way to change myself or the world, so my beliefs themselves becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy which keeps me from realizing that both the world and I DO change; we change all the time! There, I just did it again! I was introspective and self-critical! Wow, if this isn’t real, I wish it was… it feels better than my ‘other life’. What is that buzzing? It sounds like it coming from right about… there!

Mmmmmm…humanized… why can’t this dream be possible?

Buy Alter-Nation’s Change
the System! double-disk, multimedia CD now

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

AlterMedia

July 2002

This may be a book, a video program,
an audio program, a lecturer, poet, show or other touring artist, or any other
form of communication which is entertaining, enrichingandeducational.click here
to join now. Have an Alter-Media recommendation?Eclectic Artists Publishing. If your
suggestion is published you will receive ONE Alter-Nation Hour to be used at your
discretion.

The Awesome Animation and Ideas of

“Waking Life”

(Musical Bonus: Marillion’s
“Misplaced Childhood”)



Waking Life is the hippest, most intellectual and mind-expanding animated film ever created. Fortunately, for those not near an arts theater, it should soon make it to a video store near everyone.

The plot would be hard to describe without giving too much away, so we will just say this: Imagine walking around town one day and having short yet incredible conversations with everyone you meet, on a range of topics which pretty much covers the span of human knowledge. The real trick to this film is that it makes introspection and contemplation entertaining! Sure, Disney utilizes this medium to reliably re-spin tales taken from Aesop and The Brothers Grimm, and Pixar has combined life-like computer-generated characters and double-entendre humor which simultaneously please young and old. Conversely, Ralph (“Fritz The Cat”) Bakshi, et al, have previously given us “adult” animations replete with dark themes, violence and even pornography to titillate and entertain voyeurs. The crucial distinction is that Waking Life is a SERIOUSLY HIP film meant for mature intellects… no predictable sugar-coating, no San Fernando market-tested editing, no sappy endings; Just the elation and elevation which results from an evening of good friends and good conversations. It leaves you with a feeling of discovery and growth, perhaps even vindication.

While the dialog will positively captivate deep thinkers, the uniquely trippy animation techniques alone should make this film a cult classic, at least among the head-trippers. Together, the plot, dialog and animation provide enough food-for-thought to nurish every mind over the age of 15.

MUSICAL BONUS

Marillion – “Misplaced Childhood”

In the grand (yet grossly under-utilized) tradition of rock opera, this now-defunct Scottish band specialized in concept albums. Misplaced Childhood is the finest example from their several excellent musicals… so if you like this one, try all the others.

The power of this form of edu-tainment is well exemplified by the marriage of music, vocals and lyrics during a particular scene of Misplaced Childhood: The protagonist’s interlude with a Parisien streewalker who surprises even herself during their commercial conjugal union, suddenly exclaiming, “J’entend ton coeur! J’ENTEND TON COEUR!” This French expression translates as “I can hear your heart! I CAN HEAR YOUR HEART!”… as most listeners will agree.

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.

Menus4Minds

July 2002

Sure, you have heard all about the correct pairings
of food and beverages, but what conversation will you serve with each course? Menus are created and selected to ensure that you and your guests feed mind, body
and soul. We try to provide choices which will please both drinkers and abstainers,
meat-eaters and vegetarians. Can’t wait for next month’s menu ideas?Got a menu you’d like to share?Eclectic Artists Publishing. If your
submission is selected for publication you will receive one “Alter-Nation Hour”.

Philadelphia Freedom

The famous home of the Original Cheese Steak Sandwich, Philadelphia is also known for its pivotal role in our taste for freedom, as well as tough neighborhoods where citizens are not afraid to fight for their rights. So, although the elite might have a different menu than most of us, and while the elite also tend to send lawyers and politicians to do their fighting for them, everyone likes a reason to celebrate… and so on July 4th we all do.

“The Fourth of July” reminds Americans that WE are decendants entrusted with the torch in humanities’ march toward “a more perfect union”. We are, at least in desire if not fact, the modern day representatives of every brave man and woman who stood against tyranny and privilege anywhere on Earth. We believe we can achieve Truth, Justice and Beauty through egalitarian Democracy. Unfortunately, that result is not natural… it is not the ocean to which water flows, it is not an effortless squat upon land, it is not even the biology we have inherited. In fact, maintaining Freedom for the majority is akin to fighting gravity; it is directly opposed to the universal law of entropy. If WE want to experience real freedom, muchless nirvana, then we must choose to construct an engine for driving such a result, bit by bit within a clearly articulated strategy.

Since at least ancient Greece, doubters have protested that WE, ‘the masses’ (or as we might otherwise label ourselves, “The Other 93%”), are crippled by so many inherent flaws that WE can not be trusted to wisely make our own decisions. More consciously ruthless and indifferent, “The 7%” will make our rules for us, to their own advantage, of course, wherever possible. The elite have used precisely this rationalization to justify their enormous spoils for 5,000 years. While their appetites have always been planet-sized, their technologies of control now are as well. If The 7% can control America, then they can control the world. Thus, no matter where you might live on the globe, July 4th should be a reminder that America has provided us all, The Other 93%, with a chance: A chance to prove we are worthy of ruling ourselves.

Afterall, Franco-philosophers pointed America’s way to Liberty and a Social Contract; Germanic scientists built its engines, shields and swords; Latins, Jews and Arabs formed its religions; Africans and Asians (as well as countless other immigrants) were its labor; Anglo-Saxons provided its base for language and culture; and Native Indians were, of course, kind enough to provide the space and raw resources needed to get the experiment off the ground. From America’s beginning, the imperial dreams of European and Asian aristocracy have played all sides in an effort to retain their historical control and privilege. With the American military at the ready, resource and labor rich states are ‘harvested’ as dictated by The 7% (who, of course, also argue and jockey amongst themselves). Thus, like it or not, the world is effectively participating with America in what has been famously labeled as “An Experiment in Democracy”. It’s like a large scale boxing match, where we will only know the winner when the final bell rings. “Only anarchy saves democracy, so…”: With 93 hands against every 7, regular change is possible peacefully, if determinedly, to the benefit of the 93%. In large part, our psychological disconnect from this reality, and thus our reluctance to press for continuous, cleansing change, results from our vain pretense, each of us, that we may be one day counted among The 7% (as if that were even a morally desirable trait)… thus the ‘divide and conquer’ strategy of a measly 7% keeps 93% on their knees.

Whenever it suits The 7%, our “King” (and his many lords and lieutenants) gives terrifying reasons why the nobility are exempted from upholding the protections of the U.S. Constitution. What is OUR 93% response? WE 93% are taxed to provide a military which protects the assets, interest and profits of The 7% far more than it is designed to protect us. What is OUR 93% response? Will WE 93% prove we are too lazy, too petty, too corrupt, and too frightened to create systems which the MAJORITY can actually command. Given the torch of Philadelphia Freedom, will we instead choose a less demanding life and culture, one where we can sit comfortably numb, Existing As Slaves?

You are hereby urged to invite Jefferson and Rousseau to your 4th of July supper conversation. Re-visit the ideals upon which the American Dream is projected. Then renew your vow to keep The Other 93% free from the grip of The 7%.

Round One

“Jefferson over Hamilton…

THE 7% MENU
Colonial Cocktail of Dungeoness Crab, Bay Shrimp and Pirates Caviar served with Fine French Champagne. (Make sure the servants are not sneaking sips of the bubbly.)

MENU FOR THE OTHER 93%
Warm Spinach-Artichoke-Cheddar spread with baked sourdough loaf. Offered with shredded beefy jerky and ice cold Ale, self-service, family style, in the kitchen before seating the guests at the main table.

“…One chance for freedom from usury. But don’t count out ignorant lazy greed.”

Ask everyone at the party to relate what THEY have done PERSONALLY in the last year to preserve our freedoms and be involved in our democracy.

Bell Two

“Gold’s Manifest Destiny…

THE 7% MENU
Spicy Watermelon-Mint Salad tossed with red onions, lime, oil and chili powder. Served with Lemon-Poppyseed bread and Bordeaux Blanc. (Let it be known that the mint is from your southern plantation while the watermelon was, you believe, grown at your coastal property.)

MENU FOR THE OTHER 93%
Cool Macaroni Salad (with onions, celery, green pepper, pickles, deviled eggs and mayo) served with garnishes of sliced tomatoes and deviled eggs. Pour Porters and Stouts, and be sure to thank the folks who brought the home grown tomatoes and backyard eggs.

“…Settled Souls, we define ‘right’ so cleverly. Pioneer progress; protect stolen property.”

In a system where gold (money) is the explicit focus (i.e, “capitalism”) rather than people (i.e., “humanism”), which do you think has more value? What of the notion of Rousseau’s “social contract” which binds us all toward a common good? If the elite could invent and sell “manifest destiny” as a rationalization of our ‘right’ to take land from others, is there any limit to what fictions the elite might employ to attain their goals? What are you doing to separate the truth from their fictions?

Scene Three

“Aristocratic Tag-Team Dream Machines…

THE 7% MENU
Lamb Cutlets served with sauteed mushrooms and peach chutney. Accompanied by carrots seasoned in tarragon butter, green beans poached with ginger, and french baguettes. Pour a rich red wine such as Spanish Tempranillo (and be sure to mention that you selected this wine personally during your last trip abroad).

MENU FOR THE OTHER 93%
Roasted Turkey with Bacon-Cheddar-Squash casserole and Corn Bread baked with diced Ortega Chilis. Mint Juleps (made with or without bourbon) or Cranberry Juice (with or without vodka) will start the fireworks. (Do not secretly light fire-crackers under your friends’ chairs [unless you are eating outside!]).

“…Oil, Steel, Rails protect the new monopolies. Tax acts, Fed Reserve feeds World War factories. New Deal pyramid schemes social (in)security. Divide and conquer: 1 – 9 – 8 – 4 reality. Cynical acceptance of political hypocrisy. Complicit salesmen. How can you protest on your knees?”

Take another poll: Is it possible that this over-hyped boxing match is really a World Wrestling Federation event, complete with caricatured good guys and bad guys, sponsor-driven scripts tuned to the psychology of the consumer-fans, and infinite re-match possibilities? IF so, who are the sponsors and how do they make their money?

Down In Four

“Educated Stupidity…

THE 7% MENU
Strawberry-filled Puff Pastries, served with an assortment of cheeses, port and Turkish coffee. (A good crew team story is always appropriate at this juncture, although rehashing a well-worn tale of an old college prank might also get your guests heading home in time for you to light a sparkler or two before retiring for the evening.)

MENU FOR THE OTHER 93%
A trio of classic cookies (Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, and Chocolate Chip) served warm and fresh from the oven with milk, coffee and tea. (Okay, maybe a kioki coffee or peppermint schnapps hot chocolate.) Build a bonfire (outside, weather permitting) and lay some blankets and sleeping bags on the lawn for tall tales and stargazing.

“…Justifies Institutional Slavery!”

Which social group (in any society) requires the most indoctrination? Approximately what percentage of the population is in that group? What are the most effective tools for indoctrination? Would most people know whether or not they had become indoctrinated? Are we FREE? Does our government uphold our Constitution and the integrity of American ideals? If not, what are we going to do about it?

To honor The 4th of JULY let’s stop fighting among ourselves…
and instead demand LIBERTY & RESPONSIBILITY with one unified voice!

“…Or tell the children that we’ve lost their right to be free.”

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties
Corporation. All rights reserved.

CoolLink of the Month

July 2002

Sites are selected
for provocative visual, intellectual, social and/or spiritual content.Have a Cool Link
suggestion? Eclectic
Artists Publishing. If your suggestion is published you will receive ONE
Alter-Nation Hour to be used at your discretion.

Digital Freedom Of Thought!

Below are an assortment of links to alternative points of view. Use them to spark the imagination of your waking life!
Ironically, these links might be just what we need to help break our chains.
(Note this list is NOT intended to be comprehensive, and is presented in no particular order.)

FREE SPEECH TV
Join the fight for social justice and media democracy: become an FSTV
founding member.

Calculate Your Ecological Footprint
Do you think you are “walking softly” on planet Earth? Find out what impact your lifestyle is having on the planet by taking this “Ecological Footprinting” quiz… and see how you compare to the typical American.

WTO Activist Links
A fantastic set of links to learn about the World Trade Organization and the threats it poses to freedom… and then to get active. “Globalization” is the transnational corporation code word for “World Domination”… don’t just sit there, DO something!

People For The American Way
This organization wants to end hypocrisy, promote tolerance and freedom, and otherwise make the U.S. “walk its talk”.

Adbusters / Culture Jammers Network
or e-mail to: jammers@adbusters.org …don’t be an enslaved consumer. Use humor and outrageous anti-ad campaigns to take our minds back!

NADER 2001 and BEYOND
Independent parties are viable IF we refuse to support “Diet Popsi Republicans” and “Diet Cola-Cola Democrats”. Ralph Nader has been working on the side of “the little guys” for 40 years. What have the ‘major parties’ done in all that time?

FAIR TAX
Nationwide movement to abolish the income tax in favor of a national sales tax. Stop penalizing productive work, and start disincentivizing rampant over-consumption.

Hostel Travelers
Hostel are small hotels, pensiones, and B&B’s which provide travel accomodations that are affordable (cheap!) and fascinating… meet wonderful people from and in exotic places. Take a backpack to travel lightly, flexibly, free and easy. Travel is the best antidote for intolerance and ignorance.

Independent Canadian Press
Those Canucks are pretty smart, eh? And pretty independent, too, eh? Check out the news analysis and random thoughts of the U.S. of America’s wonderful northern neighbors.

We The People
More folks calling for a smarter (and less intrusive) tax system!

Zero Population Growth
Now called “Population Connection”, this group makes the pitch for stable human population size to avoid the massive suffering and ecological devastation coming soon to a planet near you.

Drug Policy Alliance
How de-regulation of most drugs will lower crime, reinstate liberties promised under our constitution, treat us as responsible adults, and provide meaningful alternatives (unwanted competition?) to the pharmaceutical industry.

Marijuana Normalization
Focused on eliminating the ridiculously hypocritical laws which make growing and smoking marijuana a criminal act, even as our government subsidizes and protects cigarettes, alcohol, and an array of other highly toxic substances.

Z Magazine
An alternative, intellectual, and topical magazine.

Utne Reader
A smarter “Reader’s Digest” for intellectuals and activists.

Dare to change your perspective!

Copyright 2002 Eclectic Properties Corporation.
All rights reserved.
Alter-Nation and Alter-Nation.com are Trademarks and Servicemarks of Eclectic
Properties Corporation. Used here by kind permission.